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New festive Shaun the Sheep animation celebrates Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day

Academy Award®-winning animation studio Aardman has colla-baa-rated with international children’s charity Save the Children on an exclusive new Shaun the Sheep animation to celebrate the charity’s Christmas Jumper Day fundraising campaign.

As the woolliest day of the year approaches on Thursday 12^th December, our favourite Mossy Bottom Farm residents can be seen preparing for the big day. The leader of the Flock, Shaun the Sheep, demonstrates his co-knit-ment to supporting Save the Children’s baa-rilliant campaign as the animation unravels.

With snow falling, festive tunes playing and Christmas decorations at the ready, Timmy’s excitement grows, and the barn calendar shows the woolliest day is on its way. The doorbell rings and Bitzer races The Farmer to receive a special delivery from Save the Children HQ – a box of supplies to help the flock celebrate Christmas Jumper Day. As Bitzer shows everyone what’s arrived, Shaun, the Twins and Timmy’s mum can be seen happily knitting their festive pullovers, as Shirley proudly dons her Christmas jumper.

Christmas jumpers at the ready and the farm adorned with decorations, Timmy looks in awe as Bitzer reveals the final item from the Christmas Jumper Day box. A ‘Head of Wool’ baa-dge for Shaun the Sheep as he is given a new role as Save the Children’s Head of Wool for Christmas Jumper Day. The flock cheer and Shaun jump(er)s for joy as he celebrates his new fleece of life!

The Knit Before Christmas is a play on Aardman’s festive film The Flight Before Christmas and embraces the anticipation and magic of Clement Clarke Moore’s The Night Before Christmas. The animation has a simple call to action with Shaun the Sheep encouraging others to ‘Join the Flock’ by visiting ChristmasJumperDay.org

To highlight this message, Save the Children has written a poem to accompany the short film:

T’was the knit before Christmas and out in the barn
Save the Children’s Head of Wool was spinning some yarn.
Shaun darned, stitched, and linked – even did some crochet
as he knitted a jumper for his favourite day.
A day packed with laughter, seasons bleatings,
whether you’re at school, on the farm, or in meetings.
And the best bit - of course - about wearing your sweater,
is that every donation makes children's lives better.

Now the countdown is on, we're watching the clock.
So sign up today and be part of the flock!

Join millions of people across the UK as they don their jolliest jumpers to raise money for Save the Children. Whether ewe are at work or in the classroom, everyone can join the UK’s biggest Christmas party to help make the world better with a sweater. All funds raised will create change for children that lasts for generations to come.

Sign up your school, workplace or family and friend group today at christmasjumperday.org then on the big day, donate what you can to Save the Children to help children in the UK and around the world stay safe, healthy and learning. 

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

For media queries please contact Steph Lowe on st.lowe@savethechildren.org.uk

About Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day:

On Thursday 12 December, Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day is back. Join millions of people across the UK as they don their jolliest jumpers to raise money for Save the Children.

You don’t even have to buy a new one. Just grab any old thing from the back of the cupboard and cover it with stickers, tinsel, glitter, baubles or whatever you fancy. Or pick up a tree-mendous pre-loved festive jumper from a Save the Children shop.

By having fun, you’re creating lasting change for and with children. So, let’s get this Christmas Jumper Day party started and make the world better with a sweater.

To sign up, visit www.christmasjumperday.org where you can also find the latest information about how to take part in Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day.

·       For Facebook visit – facebook.com/christmasjumperday

·       For Instagram, X and TikTok visit - @savechildrenuk #christmasjumperday

About Save the Children:

Save the Children exists to create lasting change for and with children. In more than 100 countries including the UK, we make sure children stay safe, healthy and learning, and change the future for good. We find new ways to reach children, no matter where they’re growing up. For a century, we’ve stood up for children’s rights and made sure their voices are heard.

For more information visit www.savethechildren.org.uk   

About Aardman:

Aardman is an employee-owned company, based in Bristol (UK) and co-founded in 1976 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton. An independent, multi-Academy Award® and BAFTA® award winning studio, it produces feature films, series, advertising, games and interactive entertainment. Current animated productions include a brand-new Wallace & Gromit film which is set for release in 2024, the studio’s first in-house game Chicken Run: Eggstraction, series 7 of Shaun the Sheep and a third series of The Very Small Creatures. 

Its productions are global in appeal, novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm reflecting the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the Aardman team. The studio’s work – which includes the creation of much-loved characters including Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time and Morph – is often imitated, and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning content for cinema, broadcasters, digital platforms and live experiences around the world. Recent celebrated projects include the BAFTA® nominated feature film Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Academy Award® nominated short film Robin Robin, International Emmy® award winning Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas, BAFTA® nominated preschool series The Very Small Creatures and the recent CGI comedy series for kids Lloyd of the Flies.  

The studio runs the Aardman Academy which has a commitment to nurturing talent by delivering excellence in film and animation training and mentoring. The Aardman Academy offers a variety of courses from intensive one-day workshops teaching production skills and storyboarding, to comprehensive twelve-week courses for professionals in craft-based subjects from model making to animation. 

In November 2018 it became an Employee-Owned Organisation, to ensure Aardman remains independent and to secure the creative legacy and culture of the company for many decades to come. www.aardman.com

About Shaun the Sheep:

Shaun the Sheep, Aardman’s family favourite TV series, is recognised the world over for its slapstick humour, distinctive look and strong, quirky characters and enjoyed across multiple media platforms. First appearing in Nick Park’s 1995 Academy Award® winning Wallace & Gromit ‘A Close Shave’, Shaun then went on to star in his own series, created by Richard Starzak which launched on BBC One in 2007.  Shaun the Sheep is currently broadcast in 170 territories around the world and is an internationally celebrated icon with over 5.6 million fans on Facebook.  In 2015 the first Shaun the Sheep Movie with feature film partner Studiocanal was released around the world to critical acclaim and the first half hour TV special aired as part of many broadcaster’s festive season., The feature film sequel Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon was released in October 2019 and nominated for an Academy Award® and was closely followed by a sixth season of the series in 2020.  A new festive special Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas was released in December 2021 and Aardman are currently in production on a seventh season of the series.